About 602 Boko Haram terrorists switched their allegiance from the notorious Islamic sect to the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Monday, when they denounced their membership of the group.

The ex-insurgents who have completed a de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme, denounced their membership of the insurgent group at the Malam Sidi Camp in Kwami Local Government area of Gombe State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they denounced their membership of Boko Haram before an 11-man Quasi-Judicial Panel headed by Justice Nehizena Afolabi, of the Federal High Court, Gombe.

In his speech at the event, Major General Bamidele Shafa, the Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor, said the appearance of the repentant insurgents before the judicial panel was a major requirement, before their reintegration into the society.

Major General Bamidele Shafa.

“The panel is for the clients to appear before it to confess their pasts and denounce their membership of Boko Haram, Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) as the case maybe.

“And swear Oath of Allegiance to be loyal, discipline and obedient citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and then make commitment.

“The commitment is that at the end of the programme, where they commit any offence, they stand to forfeit all privileges that they have acquired today and will be liable of offence against the State.”

Shafa also revealed that since the operationalisation of the DRR programme in 2016, it had admitted 893 clients into camp while 280 including two Chadians had been transferred to their various national and state authorities.